


Flying

by AnonymousAvocados



Category: IT (1990), IT (Movies - Muschietti), IT - Stephen King
Genre: Gen, M/M, Other
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-02-07
Updated: 2020-02-07
Packaged: 2021-02-27 21:09:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,897
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22602256
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AnonymousAvocados/pseuds/AnonymousAvocados
Summary: A Cheerleader Richie/Track star Eddie reddie AU originally created by caliceal on tumblr (gwenjamin3000 on instagram). Hope you enjoy! （＾ｖ＾）
Relationships: Ben Hanscom & The Losers Club, Bill Denbrough & The Losers Club, Eddie Kaspbrak & Richie Tozier, Eddie Kaspbrak & The Losers Club, Eddie Kaspbrak/Richie Tozier, Mike Hanlon & Eddie Kaspbrak, Mike Hanlon & The Losers Club, The Losers Club & Beverly Marsh, The Losers Club & Richie Tozier, The Losers Club & Stanley Uris, The Losers Club & The Losers Club (IT), The Losers Club (IT) & Original Character(s)
Comments: 13
Kudos: 70





	Flying

**Author's Note:**

  * For [caliceal](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=caliceal).



> This is a reddie cheerleader AU for Gwen, AKA caliceal on tumblr and gwenjamin3000 on Instagram!! Hope you all enjoy and make sure to check out Gwen's amazing art :)

_Buzz._

"69!"

"That is correct, Derry High." The announcer's voice echoed through the room, magnified by the microphone he spoke into.

Richie turned to his friend, Cody, and whispered to him. "You have no idea how excited I was when I got that answer."

Cody laughed, and Richie turned back to hear the next problem, quickly wiping his whiteboard clean. This was a big moment. _Come on, Richie. Last question of the regional mathletes championship._

Richie began scribbling as soon as the announcer stared talking, numbers rushing through his head.

 _47, carry the 6... then find x, of course use systems of equations to get y... basic algebra, really, why is_ this _the big final question? Oh, wait,_ that's _why. Shit._

Richie was momentarily distracted by the bell ringing; this event was being held in the Derry High auditorium during the school day. The rest of the school was now switching to their free period right before fourth.

Richie became even more distracted as people started to enter the auditorium. They weren't supposed to, but it was a shortcut to the athletic field, so they did anyway, whispering and laughing. Richie didn't do well with distractions.

He refocused on the task at hand. Just a couple more equations... done, and...

 _Buzz._ Richie slammed his hand down on the buzzer in front of him. The competing school, Orangefield High, groaned in disappointment.

He had ten seconds to answer. That wasn't a problem at all- Richie knew the number, 234.68- until it was. Because as Richie looked up to speak into the microphone, his eye caught on something- or, rather, someone- in the back of the room.

A small, golden-skinned, brown-haired boy had slipped into the auditorium, clearly heading for the athletic field. The Derry track team outfit was a dead giveaway. That outfit also gave away every bit of information Richie needed to know about the boy's thighs- though, honestly, Richie would still like to know a lot more.

The boy glanced up, looking a little guilty for interrupting, and locked eyes with Richie. He smiled sheepishly.

Richie's words were stuck in his throat. He could feel his face flushing. His mouth hung open, prepared to give an answer that wasn't coming out.

Cody kicked him in the shin. Richie looked over, snapped out of his trace, as the boy in the back of the room slipped outside; but it was too late.

"I'm sorry, your time is up. The question goes to Orangefield." The announcer said.

Richie's team groaned. Richie mouthed an apology, posture slumping. He was the captain, he should be better. _Fuck._

"234.68."  
"That is correct, Orangefield."

Richie glared at the opposing team. They looked so damn smug.

"We have now reached the end of the regional championship, leaving Derry in the lead by two points." The announcer said.

The auditorium- which was filled with parents- erupted into cheers, and so did the Derry High Mathletes. Richie grinned, relief seeping through him. At least he hadn't cost his team the game. Plus-

"Suck it, Orangefield!" Richie shouted at the very unamused team, making an obscene gesture with his hand and mouth. The all male Orangefield team stared in confusion, unsure of whether to laugh or take offense.

Cody grabbed his arm, dragging him offstage. "Way to out yourself, Rich." He muttered.

"What? I wasn't-" Richie began, but he decided it wasn't worth the argument. "Whatever."

The rest of the team was celebrating, but Richie didn't care. He was eyeing the door to the athletic field. Thinking about that boy. Richie would really like to see him up close.

"Earth to Richie. What the hell are you thinking about?" Cody pulled him back to reality.

Richie paused. That boy was on the track team, wasn't he?

"Do you think they still have signups for cheerleading open?" Richie said.

Cody gave him a look of disbelief. "Richie, you can't be serious."

"What? It's a sport... thing." Richie defended himself, albeit uncertainly. "They have cheerleaders for the track team, right?"

"Maybe, I don't know. But, Rich, _cheerleading?_ " Cody scoffed a little. "You really want to be grouped with all those blonde _'Britney'_ s and _'Ashley'_ s? There is _one_ male in that group. And he's such a flamer." Richie gave him a look, and Cody quickly backpedaled. "Not that it's a bad thing! I'm just saying, people will talk."

"Cool." Richie said. "I'm gonna sign up."

Cody sighed. "I wish you luck, my friend."

"Thank you, good sir." Richie tipped an imaginary hat and headed for the library.

He may or may not have taken the long way so that he could watch the boy from before practicing outside.

~~~~~

As it turned out, cheer _was_ still holding auditions. Richie was ambitious. When he set his mind on a goal, he reached it. His mind was set on that runner.

So, yes, Richie was 100% willing to humiliate himself at cheer auditions.

And he did humiliate himself. He was not a cheerleader. He had never done anything like cheer before. Hell, he was the _captain_ of the _mathletes._

"Shit, I'm so sorry." Richie reached out to help up the girl he'd attempted- and failed- to lift into the air.

"I weigh ninety-two pounds!" She huffed, smacking Richie's hand away and standing up herself.

"Richie, you have noodle arms." The cheer captain, whose name was, of course, Britney, crossed her arms over her chest disapprovingly. "You can't even lift Beth. She's the smallest out of all of us. What do you offer to the team?"

"Wait, how much do the people at the top of the pyramid weigh?" Richie asked.

"Flyers? Up to, like, 120 pounds. It mostly depends on how you hold yourself rather than your weight." Britney said.

Richie grinned, placing his hands on his hips. "I'm 116."

"You want to be a _flyer?"_ Britney raised her eyebrows. She sighed. "I guess we can try it. Aidan!" Britney called the one other male on the team over. Richie looked him up and down and was very intimidated and a little interested; Aidan looked like Captain America in a cheerleading outfit. "We'll spot you, he'll lift you."

Britney showed Richie how to hold himself in the air. The team gathered around and helped Richie up into the air. To everyone's- including Richie's- surprise, he was rather graceful in the air.

"Well, you need a bit of practice, but you're not bad." Britney shrugged. "And it would be nice to have more guys on the team..."

"God, yes." Aidan agreed. "Please."

"Yeah, this is fun. Being a- wait, what was it? Fighter?" Richie stretched a little in the air.

Britney pinched the bridge of her nose. " _Flyer._ Whatever, you're in."

"Seriously? Awesome!" Richie wobbled a little. Worried that his clumsiness was catching up with him, he decided to get back on the ground. "Uh, how do I get down?"

"Oh, just fall, we'll catch you." Britney said dismissively.

Richie looked down uncertainly. Maybe this wasn't such a great idea.

~~~~~

"Oh my god, this schedule is... a lot." Richie scanned the piece of paper in his hands.

"Yeah, Richie. It's what you signed up for." Abigail, one of the cheerleaders and Britney's best friend, nodded.

"But I still have mathletes." Richie protested. "And, like, a _life."_

"Those two things don't coexist." Abigail said pointedly. Richie shrugged in reluctant agreement. "Look, if you can't make it to all of the practices, you can't be on the team. Simple as that. We take cheer seriously at this school."

"Okay, I get it." Richie tucked the schedule into his pocket. "So, what all do we cheer for?"

Abigail stared for a moment. "I can't believe Britney let you on." She shook her head to clear her thoughts before answering the question. "Mostly football. Basketball, too. Occasionally some other sports."

"What about the track team?" Richie asked. He hoped he was being subtle, but Abigail saw right through him. Well, kind of.

Abigail raised her eyebrows, smiling. "Oh, that's why you wanted to join, isn't it? Someone on the track team caught your eye?"

Richie felt his heart rate jump. _Did she know?_ Fuck, _how?_ How did she know Richie was into-

"I mean, I can understand it. Seeing all those girls running around." Abigail continued.

 _Right._ There was a girls' track team, too.

"None of your business." Richie tried to pull a poker face. It looked more like a grimace. He was an awful liar.

"We don't cheer for track, anyway." Abigail shrugged, thankfully not pushing it. "Sorry."

Oh, god. _Was this all for nothing?_ No way. Richie wouldn't stand for that.

"What? That's ridiculous!" Richie spluttered. "Track needs someone to cheer them on, too!"

 _Bbbrrrriiing._ The bell echoed through the hallway.

"Talk to Britney about it." Abigail waved goodbye and headed off to class.

Richie had science with Britney this period. He rushed off to his classroom to talk to her.

Richie quickly found Britney and carelessly interrupted her conversation. "Britney, we need to cheer for the track team."

Britney smiled in the same knowing way that Abigail had. "Why, are you crushi-"

"None of your business." Richie said again, a little breathless from running across the school. Britney raised her eyebrows at his state.

"You need to work on your stamina." She commented.

"Whatever." Richie dismissed her words with a wave of his hand. "I want to cheer for track."

"Okay, well, we are a _team._ There's no 'I' in 'team.' But you knew that, Mr. 4.3 GPA." Britney rolled her eyes. She sighed. "We already have a packed schedule. Or did Abigail not give you that?"

"No, she did." Richie said.

"Then you know that we don't have time for more routines or more practices or more events to go to. We're not cheering for track." Britney said, tone final.

" _I'm_ cheering for track." Richie said stubbornly. "Me and Aidan will go." He smiled proudly at his new idea; he could probably convince Aidan to join him. The boys sticking together, right?

"Oh, please. Aidan is _not_ interested in any of the track girls. Or any of the girls." Britney shot him down.

 _Yeah, neither was Richie._ He wasn't going to tell her that, though.

"If I can get some people on board, will you let us do a _short_ routine at _one_ track event?" Richie leaned over Britney's desk, staring her in the eyes and trying to read her expression.

Britney leaned in towards him farther. "If you can get Aidan on board to cheer for track, yes." She squinted a little, also trying to read Richie's expression. "This means a lot to you, huh?"

"I'm a determined person." Richie said, not breaking eye contact. Some sort of strange battle-of-wills stare-off was going on here, and he wasn't about to lose.

Britney smiled approvingly, leaning back in her seat. _Richie had won._ "Good. We want that in a cheerleader."

"Then you picked the right fighter." Richie stood back proudly, grinning.

Britney laughed. It was the first time Richie had made her laugh, and he felt that familiar wave of validation from it.

 _"Flyer."_ She corrected.

"Right, flyer." Richie nodded.

"Alright, everyone, take your seats." The teacher's booming voice filled the room. Richie moved to do as he was told.

"You're not a fighter, Richie." Britney said.

Richie turned and smiled at her for a moment. "I know."


End file.
